Preparing To Sell Your House

Maximize storage

Even if you have plenty of closets, cabinets and cupboards, you should make the most of them by installing space-saving devices. Why? Well, simply put, you can never have too much storage space. Even if you can’t fill the space, a prospective buyer (who has often looked at more than a few places and wondered where he’ll put all of his stuff) will see the value of what you’ve done. But the key to making this work is doing more with less. In other words, building a new closet isn’t a solution. Hanging an extra rod in an existing closet for clothes you don’t wear as much is the kind of project you’re aiming for. With some tools, some free time, a little cash, and a trip to the hardware store, you’ll find more than a few pre-made kits that will help you save space in your storage areas.

Restore features

Home fixtures and other works of craftsmanship suffer from wear and tear. Fix them up by cleaning them, touching up paint or replacing broken pieces to give your house a fresh, clean look. Obviously, in terms of scope, this can be a broad area as some guys have homes with imported fixtures that are custom-made and fixing those irregular pieces probably isn’t the way to go. But if your banister is looking a little worn out, go to your local hardware store and price out a new one. Again, don’t opt for something too nice (you’ll only pay for something the next guy might want to remove), but if you pick something tasteful and new, you’ll get the buyer thinking offer rather than pass.

Fix the exterior of your home

Not every buyer will walk through your doors. In fact, more than a few people simply drive around neighborhoods checking off homes from their lists based on the exteriors. In other words, people can and do judge books by their covers. The solution? Touch up the paint, clean the gutters, fix any siding issues on windows, the roof or shutters, and generally make sure that your home has curb appeal. Again, the idea here is to minimize costs. While a broken shutter might be pricy to repair, it’s probably worth doing, but don’t let yourself get into situation where you’re replacing all of your shutters because you think a buyer (who you don’t know) is going to like them. The costs will vary, but you need to spend what you have to make your home’s exterior is both unified and appealing.

improvement not overhaul

While you may not need to take advantage of all of these tips, chances are that more than a few will be useful in selling your home. But remember, you’re selling a home, not living in it forever. The idea is to add value, not make yourself happy. So don’t go overboard and spend too much on items the next guy will simply discard. Ask yourself what would please you as a buyer, not you as an owner.